Rule Number Eight
by Agent Gibbs
Summary: Follow up to my "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" fic. Sort of a Burn Notice Crossover. An NCIS Agent is murdered in Tel Aviv by a CIA Agent, sending the team of Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Mossad Officer Ziva David, CIA Agent Michael Westen, & Navy SEAL Commander Sam Axe overseas. Many things will happen. MUST read Blvd. of Broken Dreams first. Reviews are more than welcome.
1. Still Smiling

**_Monday, September 20, 2004._**

Tony's alarm clock went off at 0400, and he woke up with a smile on his face, one that he had been wearing all weekend. He turned his head to the right and laid eyes on the reason for his smile, a stunning Israeli beauty named Ziva. Given his reputation, Tony himself was shocked that he hadn't already had sex with her. But Ziva was something special; at least Tony thought she was. Whenever he thought about doing something that would mess this up, he remembered Rule Number Eight: _Never take anything for granted._

Before Tony could do anything other than hit the snooze button on his alarm clock, Ziva woke up.

"Good morning, Tony," she said.

"Good morning, Ziva," Tony replied as their lips met.

"What time do you have to be at NCIS?"

"0700."

"Why do you get up so early?"

"I have it on great authority that I take longer to get ready than a woman."

Ziva started laughing. "You must have a very lucrative morning ritual, yes?"

"No, I just like to take my time. It usually pays off," he added with a wink.

Ziva smiled, and Tony kissed her again, not wanting the moment to end. But he had to get to work, which he realized at 0500. He jumped out of the bed like his hair was on fire and made a beeline for the shower.

0545.

Tony managed to shave time off his routine by skipping the gel and other chemicals that he used in his hair. By 0625, he was dressed and ready to go.

"You got any plans for today?" Tony asked Ziva.

"Yes," Ziva lied convincingly. She kissed Tony again before he left the apartment.

"I'll call you when I get a free minute," Tony said, wearing his thousand-watt grin.

Before he got to the Navy Yard, Tony stopped at Starbucks and picked up coffee for the team that he worked with.


	2. Merciless Ribbing

When Tony stepped off the elevatoer at the NCIS Building, his good mood was visible. Hell, he was singing Sinatra.

"_Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold my hand. In other words, baby kiss me._" He stopped singing at the looks on his co-workers' faces.

"What?" He asked, setting the coffee tray down on his desk.

"You're in a good mood," observed Probationary Agent Timothy McGee.

"Brilliant observation, Probie," Tony replied. "You wanna guess why?"

"Did you get laid again, DiNozzo?" Another Agent asked.

"No. Kate," Tony answered, "I did not."

"Then _**why**_ are you so happy?" Kate asked.

"It's just a good morning," Tony answered. "Where's Gibbs?"

"No idea."

"Coffee, anyone?" Tony grabbed one of the cups and sat down at his desk, humming _Fly Me To The Moon_. Kate and McGee looked hesitant as they each grabbed a cup of coffee.

Gibbs came walking into the bullpen, noticing not only Tony's elevated mood, but also the coffee that was on his desk. "I've seen this before," he said.

"Seen what before?" Kate asked.

"Special Agent Todd, you are a trained profiler. Do you mean to say that you do **_not_** recognize DiNozzo's symptoms?"

"I don't recognize his symptoms. What's wrong with him?"

"He's in love." Gibbs' tone was mocking, to say the least.

"Mock me all you want," Tony said. "But yeah, I am."

"How old is she, 16?" Kate asked jokingly.

Tony turned to Gibbs. "Boss, isn't there a Rule about calling your partner a pedophile?"

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

"Let it go, DiNozzo." Gibbs headed out of the bullpen once more. Kate turned her attention back to Tony.

"What's her name?"

"Hmm?" Tony was caught off-guard; he was zoned out, thinking about Ziva.

"The girl you're 'in love' with. What's her name?"

"Zee-vah," Tony answered with a smile.

"That's..."

"Israeli; I know." Sensing the chance, Tony pounced, dragging Ari Haswari into the conversation. "And no, Kate, I don't know if she knows your boyfriend."

Kate's face turned red, but she pushed it off. She cursed Tony for dragging Ari inot the conversation and threw her stapler at him. McGee started laughing to himself.

"So, tell us about Ziva," Kate said.

"Not much to tell," Tony answered. I met her on Friday. We hit it off; had a couple drinks. We talked a bit... we kissed. That was all she wrote. Oh, and she can dance."

"As in _Baby Got Back_?"

"No, more like Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. In other words, ballet. I can't believe I just said that."

"It wouldn't kill you to be more cultured, Tony," McGee said.

"Ya know what, Probie?" Tony snapped. "F..." He was cut off by his phone. "Hold on a second. DiNozzo."

"_You're needed in MTAC, ballet boy._"

"I'm on my way, boss." Click. Tony looked at McGee and fired off an insult in Italian before heading to MTAC.

Tony didn't know it yet, but his day was about to get far more interesting...


	3. Briefing

Tony arrived in MTAC and saw Director Vance and someone else that he suspected was FBI. That guess was way off.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, Agent Michael Westen, CIA," Vance said.

"CIA?" Tony repeated, confused. "What's going on?"

"It's your show," Vance said to Westen.

"Five hours ago, a CIA Operative by the name of Ray Cruz murdered an NCIS Agent in Tel Aviv," Westen said. "Mossad is also looking for Cruz; they've assigned one of their officers to work with NCIS and the CIA to track Cruz down."

"Do you know where Cruz is?" Tony asked.

"Our latest intel says he's in Rome. Per your Director's request, Agent DiNozzo, you will be leading the investigation. I will be the CIA Agent on the op. Do you have any questions?"

"Quite a few. For instance: How in the hell am I supposed to lead this investigation without Gibbs getting suspicious?"

"Agent DiNozzo, you're going to Rome," Vance said. "I hope you have a go-bag packed."

"Of course I do," Tony replied. "Who's the Mossad Officer on this case?"

"No clue," Westen replied.

"Am I allowed to brief other Agents in case I run into a dead end over there and need some help running leads?"

"While the Agency does not want more people than necessary knowing what happened, it couldn't hurt to have a few Agents tracking down leads here."

"What was the name of the NCIS Agent that was killed?"

"Special Agent Adam Davis," Vance replied. "Gibbs is informing his family as we speak. Agent DiNozzo, I suggest that you hurry up and brief whoever you need to. You leave in two hours."

"G-5 out of Dulles?" Tony asked, sounding a bit too hopeful.

"C-130 out of Pax River."

Tony nodded, leaving MTAC and heading back to the bullpen.

The only person in the bullpen was Gibbs, at least as far as Tony could see. He had his back to the bullpen, however, when Ziva stepped off the elevator and approached Gibbs.

"Can I help you?" Gibbs asked.

"I am looking for Special Agent Tony DiNozzo," Ziva answered.

"He's in MTAC," Gibbs answered, without looking up from his paperwork. "Who are you?"

"Ziva David, Mossad. My Director called me and said to report to NCIS as soon as possible."

"Does this have anything to do with the NCIS Agent killed by the CIA Agent in Tel Aviv?"

"Yes, it does."

Tony came around the corner and stopped in his tracks. Gibbs motioned with his pen that someone just entered the bullpen, so Ziva turned around. She saw Tony wearing his thousand-watt smile.

"Did you miss me that much?" Tony joked as Ziva threw her arms around him.

"I am the Mossad Officer assigned to this case," she replied, her lips inches from his.

Gibbs threw his pen down and stood up. "Both of you, follow me," he ordered, heading to the elevator. Ziva looked at Tony, confused. Tony nodded.

Westen and Vance walked out of MTAC as Tony and Ziva were following Gibbs to the elevator.

"Agent Westen, you might want to take the stairs," Vance said, sighing with exasperation.

"I can't leave yet," Westen replied.

"Ant special reason?"

"My Mossad Contact told me that their Officer will be arriving here soon." Westen changed the subject. "Why would I need to take the stairs?"

"Gibbs uses the elevator as an office from time to time, if he wants to have a private conversation."

"Really?" Westen asked in disbelief. Vance nodded and went into his office, leaving Westen with that look of disbelief still on his face.


	4. Gibbs' Advice

The elevator doors closed, and Gibbs flipped the emergency switch.

"DiNozzo, would you care to explain?" Gibbs asked.

"I had no idea that she was the Mossad Officer on this case until just now," Tony replied.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"It is true," Ziva said. "I did not know until half an hour ago."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Gibbs said.

"What **_are_** you talking about?" Tony asked.

"Is she even eighteen, DiNozzo?"

Ziva rolled her eyes, pulled her I.D. out of her pocket, and handed it to Gibbs. "For your information, Agent Gibbs, I am twenty-two. _**Nothing**_ is illegal about my relationship with Tony."

Gibbs studied the I.D., looking for any irregularities. After about 5 minutes, he handed the I.D. back to Ziva. "Shouldn't you check in with Director Vance?"

Ziva nodded. "Yes, I should."

Gibbs flipped the switch and Ziva stepped off. However, Gibbs held Tony up to give hm another piece of advice.

"DiNozzo, are you serious about her?" Gibbs asked, thinking he knew the answer.

"Yes, I am," Tony replied. He thought the look on Gibbs' face was priceless. Head-slap.

"Rule Number Eight."

"_Never take anything for granted._ I know, boss. And I won't."

"Good. Don't let your relationship with Officer David affect your ability to do your job." Gibbs flipped the switch again and he and Tony stepped off the elevator.

**_A/N: Gibbs' question about Ziva's age stems from the fact that for the first two seasons that she was on the show, she could have been sent undercover as a high school student, a la "21 Jump Street."_**


	5. Pain-Memory Responses

Westen and Vance were sitting in the latter's office when the intercom beeped.

"_Director Vance, Mossad Officer Ziva David to see you._"

"Send her in."

The doorknob turned, and Ziva entered Vance's office. Westen had a pain-memory response upon seeing Ziva and started rubbing his jaw.

"_Shalom_, Officer David," Vance said.

"Director Vance," Ziva replied.

"How is your Director?"

Eli is livid that a CIA Agent murdered an NCIS Agent right under his nose."

"Officer David, Agent Westen, CIA. He will be assisting you and Special Agent DiNozzo in _**capturing**_ CIA Agent Ray Cruz."

Ex-CIA," Westen corrected Vance. "His employment with the Agency was terminated after he pulled the trigger."

Ziva looked from Vance to Westen. "We have met before, yes?" She asked him.

"Yeah, we have," Westen answered. "You broke my jaw last year in Lisbon."

"I apologized."

"After three days."

"I still apologized."

"On orders from your Director."

"You swung first. I was defending myself."

The ensuing argument went on for another five minutes, with insults being thrown in every language except for English. Vance decided he had heard enough when Ziva called Westen something incredibly vile. His whistle pierced the air, and the two spies quieted down.

"If you two are going to scream at each other like a couple of alley cats, it will not be in this office. **_Are we clear?_**"

"Yes, Director," Westen and Ziva answered at the same time.

"Good. Officer David, has your Director assigned anybody to remain at NCIS for the duration of this case?"

"He has," Ziva answered. "Officer Ari Haswari will be replacing Special Agent DiNozzo for the duration of this case."

"Haswari? Isn't he the one that infiltrated NCIS earlier this year?"

"He is."

"And shot Agent Gibbs?"

"He is."

"And kidnapped Agent Todd?"

"He let her go. What sort of 'kidnapper' does that?"

"Are there any other Mossad Officers available?"

None that can do this job as well as Officer Haswari."

Vance nodded in defeat. "When will Officer Haswari be arriving?"

"He should be arriving within the next ten minutes."

"Perfect." Vance checked his watch. "The C-130 that you two and Agent DiNozzo are to be on is scheduled to depart from Pax River Naval Air Station in one hour. I suggest you get moving."


	6. Shalom

Ari Haswari stepped off the elevator and approached the bullpen, where only Kate was seated, drinking a cup of coffee. Ari changed his approach, sneaking up behind Kate instead of entering the bullpen directly.

"_Shalom_, Caitlin," Ari said, causing Kate to jump. Her coffee flew out of her hand and landed on top of Ari's head, exploding. He was covered in coffee from head to toe.

"I am so sorry," Kate said as she stood up and turned to Ari.

"At least you didn't shoot me," Ari joked in reply. He rubbed the shoulder that Gibbs shot a few months earlier, wincing slightly.

"Next time, don't sneak up on me like that." Kate smiled and hugged Ari, but let go quickly when Gibbs came around the corner.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gibbs snapped at Ari, placing a hand on his SIG.

"I come in peace," Ari replied. "I am Agent DiNozzo's replacement for the duration of this op."

"How the hell'd you pull that assignment?"

"Officer David is my Control Officer and half-sister."

"I wonder if DiNozzo knows?" Kate said to Gibbs.

Ari groaned, rolled his eyes, and banged his head on Kate's desk no less than five times. "Ziva has not stopped talking about DiNozzo since she met him."

"And you did not stop talking about Agent Todd after you met her," Ziva said from behind Ari. He turned beet-red and Ziva started laughing. "Now we are even, Ari."

Trying to hide the grin crossing his face, Ari said, "They have been briefed. And you have a plane to catch."

"I am aware of that. I will see you when this is over."

Ziva walked to the elevator, allowing a smile to cross her face. For the first time since Ari joined Mossad, she had the last laugh in their ongoing battle of wits.


	7. Lift-Off

A Lockheed-Martin C-130 "Hercules" Transport Aircraft lifted off from Pax River Naval Air Station at about 1034 hours, which was right on time (Unusual for Military Aircraft).

Seated amongst the Sailors and Marines bound for Italy were NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Mossad Officer Ziva David, and CIA Agent Michael Westen. Their mission: Locate and capture former CIA Agent Ray Cruz, the man accused of murdering NCIS Special Agent Adam Davis in Tel Aviv, Israel. The only lead to be had was that Cruz was hiding out in Rome. The flight was loud and uncomfortable, at least for Tony. Westen slept the entire way, and Ziva had her nose buried in a book.

Tony, Ziva, & Westen picked up another team member at Pax River: Commander Sam Axe, Navy SEAL. A buddy of Westen's, Sam was easily recognizable due to his abnormally large chin. Ziva was nervous about working with Sam, mainly because Mossad had no intel on him, and even if they did, Director Eli David wouldn't surrender it willingly. She made a mental note to contact Ari as soon as she could and have him find everything he could about Sam. Little did she know, but Tony was thinking the exact same thing.

"How long have you been at NCIS?" Sam asked Tony, after what felt like halfway through the flight.

"What?" Tony yelled back.

"I asked how long you've been at NCIS."

"Going on three years."

"Is Gibbs still there?"

"How do you know Gibbs?"

"I met him in San Diego back in '97. One of my SEALs was accused of killing a fellow SEAL. Gibbs comes off as a bit of a-"

"Bastard; I know. He's my boss and the guy that recruited me to NCIS."

"You poor bastard."

"Thanks."

Where were you before NCIS?"

"Homicide Unit, Baltimore PD. Before that was Philly, and before that, Peoria."

"What was your strangest case?"

"Overall?"

"Yeah."

"When I first started at NCIS, we busted a Marine for selling pot out of a hotdog cart in Quantico. We brought the cart back to NCIS with the dope still inside, and the cart blew up. Marijuana smoke was _**everywhere**_. Gibbs was high and ate ten pizzas in one sitting. It was funny as hell. When it passed the next week, we were banned from talking about it ever again." _**(A/N: TRY to imagine high Gibbs in your mind. :P)**_

"That can't be the strangest."

"You're right; it's not. It was the funniest."

"What was the strangest?"

"Meat puzzle, a couple of months ago. Three people were killed, their bodies dissected, and dunked into three barrels of alcohol and dumped behind Bethesda Naval Hospital and sent to our M.E. at NCIS to be I.D.'d. It turned out that the bodies were key players from a case that our M.E. testified in ten years ago. The psycho was released and went after the people that put him away."

"What happened with the guy?"

"He ended up killing himself with a scalpel."

"So the whack job goes through all that, _**just**_ to off himself?"

"He failed to kill the man whose testimony put him away. The kicker was that he apologized to his mother first."

"That's messed up."

"I know."

Sam changed the subject. "Do you know if there are any good bars in Rome?"

"There better be."

"Rome has many exquisite bars," Ziva replied, closing her book. "But we are not going to Rome to drink."

"Then why _**are**_ we going to Rome, sweetheart?" Sam asked.

On instinct (Which he wouldn't have had with any other women by this point), Tony wrapped a protective arm around Ziva as she shot Sam a death glare. Pointing to Westen, Tony, and then herself, Ziva said, "Commander, we are going to Rome to Capture a Former CIA Agent accused of murdering an NCIS Agent in Tel Aviv, directly under the nose of the Director of Mossad. And the next time you call me 'sweetheart,' remember this: I can kill you eighteen different ways with a paperclip."

"Can you really do that?" Tony asked as Sam cringed.

Ziva nodded. "Yes, I can. All Mossad Officers can."

"That's just great. Ari's probably gonna teach Kate and McGee, and those two are gonna threaten me with it."

"Would Ari teach Gibbs?"

"I doubt it."

"Why do you have your doubts?"

"Those two don't exactly see eye-to-eye. And Gibbs doesn't need a paperclip. _Rule Number Nine: Never go anywhere without a knife._"

"Do you have your knife?"

"Gibbs would kill me if I didn't."

"Do you use a fixed or switchblade?"

"I use a switchblade. It's easier to conceal in my pocket and won't stab me in the crotch."

"Whst about a spare?"

"That's why I have my SIG."

"In Mossad, we have a saying: _Knives do not run out of bullets._"

"And how many knives do you carry, Officer David?" Westen asked, pulling his head out of his chest and checking his watch.

"I have my primary and a spare," Ziva answered. "That is all you need to know."

"Uh-huh. Well, we'll be landing soon."

"How can you tell?" Tony asked.

"I've flown from Pax River to Rome before; I know about how long it takes."

The C-130 touched down right on schedule. Tony looked at Westen and simply said, "Show-off."


	8. Trial By Fire

_**Monday, September 27, 2004.**_

Back in Washington, Ari was going through a trial by fire with the whole "Criminal Investigative" thing. He managed to catch a break after about a week.

"Yeah, sure, Duck." Gibbs snapped his phone shut and turned to Ari. "Officer Haswari, get over here, now."

"Yes, Agent Gibbs?"

"Doctor Mallard's vehicle was involved in a slight accident. You received your medical training from the same University as Dr. Mallard. Right or wrong?"

"Is this going somewhere?" Head-slap.

"Can you examine the body of our dead Petty Officer and possibly tell me when and how he died?"

"Certainly."

Ari started looking over the Petty Officer's body, humming the theme from _Jeopardy_ as he did so. After about five minutes, he stood up and faced Gibbs.

"Well?" Gibbs demanded.

"He died between four and five hours ago," Ari answered. "His death is possibly due to some kind of poison; I saw this same skin discoloration when a fellow Mossad Operative was killed in 2002. The poison is likely radioactive, but not enough to kill us since it has had a chance to metabolize."

NCIS Medical Examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard arrived shortly after Ari gave Gibbs his findings.

"You're a little late," Gibbs joked to Ducky.

"Thank you for the welcome, Jethro," Ducky joked back. "To whom do we have the pleasure?"

Gibbs checked his notes. "Petty Officer Second Class Jack Martin. Duck, after you called and said you'd be late, I had Officer Haswari look over the body."

"And what did he find?" Ducky asked through gritted teeth.

"Floors yours," Gibbs said to Ari.

Dr. Mallard, I estimate that Petty Officer Martin died anywhere between four and five hours ago due to a dose of possibly radioactive poison," Ari said, crouching next to Ducky. he opened his mouth to say something else, but his Mossad Assassin Senses started tingling. He jumped to his feet, placing his hand on his sidearm.

"Ari, are you having a fit?" Kate asked.

"Someone's watching us," Ari replied.

"That would be Gibbs," McGee chimed in.

"No. It is somebody else." Ari scanned every building around the crime scene before stopping on an abandoned office building. "There. It's where I would go if I did not want to be spotted."

"Check it out," Gibbs ordered. "Take Agent Todd with you and don't forget your radios."

Kate and Ari nodded and took off for the building. There was just one problem: The door was locked.

"Got any bright ideas?" Kate asked.

"Just one," Ari answered, pulling a knife out of his pocket.

"You're going to _cut_ our way in?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Caitlin. This knife has a glass-breaker on it. It does exactly what its name implies it does."

"If it's a glass-breaker, why is there brain matter on it?"

"Last resort. Stand back." Ari shattered enough of the window so that he could stick his hand through the window and unlock the door.

"You know what no one likes, Ari?"

"What would that be, Caitlin?"

"No one likes a show-off."

"From you, I will take that as a compliment." Ari slipped the knife back into the pocket and opened the door, "_Après __vous_, Caitlin."

"_Stop playing grab-ass and get moving,_" Gibbs snapped over the radio.

"My apologies," Ari said, following Kate inside.

"_Rule Number Six: Never say you're sorry._"

Someone moved on the second floor. The deserted building amplified the sound, and Kate & Ari soon had their weapons drawn. They followed the noise to the rear of the building and the single staircase that led anywhere but out.

"You're on point," Kate said. Ari nodded, taking the lead up the stairs.

The stairwell was so small that it would have been impossible for the other person in the building to go down the stairs without knocking Kate or Ari over. The noise began to get more distant. The person making the noise was either moving upstairs or away from the staircase.

The second floor was clear, as were the third and fourth. The fifth floor, however, was a different story. The person that was watching the team was there, holding an M-14 with a sniper's scope attached to it.

"Drop the weapon," Kate ordered.

"I cannot do that," the man answered.

"She said drop your weapon," Ari snapped.

"I cannot do that, Officer Haswari."

Ari cocked the hammer on his weapon. "How do you know my name?"

"You do not recognize me? I should feel insulted."

Ari lowered his weapon and studied the man's face. After about 3 seconds, his gun was pointed at the man's head.

"Eschel, you are supposed to be dead," Ari snapped. "Director David shot you personally for betraying the Mossad to VEVAK."

"Perhaps your daddy should have worked on his aim," Eschel snapped back. "He missed my heart by a centimeter."

"_What the hell's going on in there?_" Gibbs asked over the radio.

""The man that has been watching us is _**former**_ Mossad Officer Namir Eschel," Ari responded. "Do I have permission to shoot him?"

"_No. Bring him in._"

"Understood. Namir Eschel, you are under arrest for Espionage, Treason, and Crimes Against the State of Israel."

"You cannot do anything on American Soil."

"If I was not working with NCIS, you would be _**dead**_."

"But what would your sister say? Oh, I remember Ziva. She is a nice girl and all, but she comes off as a bit of a slu-"

Ari wrapped his free hand around Eschel's throat. "Ziva may be my Control Officer, but she is _**STILL**_ my baby sister. And you _**DO NOT**_ talk about her like that. _**EVER!**_ If you even _**think**_ about calling her something that vile again, I will rip your tongue out and shove it down your throat. Nod if you understand."

"_Did he nod, Officer Haswari?_"

Ari knocked Eschel out before answering. "He did, Agent Gibbs."

"_Good. Cuff him and bring him in._"

"Ari, do you hear that?" Kate asked.

"Hear what?" Ari asked, cuffing Eschel.

"Listen."

Ari strained his ear and heard it: A faint beeping noise. Eschel had placed a bomb somewhere in the building.

"I have a suggestion," Ari said, hoisting Eschel onto his good shoulder and grabbing the M-14.

"What would that be?" Kate asked.

_**"RUN!"**_

They took off running, Ari a step behind Kate, trying to balance Eschel and the rifle. The bomb detonated as soon as Kate and Ari cleared the building. By this point, Ducky had loaded Petty Officer Martin and left.

"That was a good catch," Gibbs told Ari.

"Thank you," Ari replied. "Put the M-14 in the truck and drop Eschel in the sedan. McGee!"

"Yes, boss?" McGee answered.

"You're driving the truck back to the Navy Yard. Try and keep up."

McGee nodded and headed to the truck.

"What about the building?" Ari asked. "It did explode by our crime scene."

"Let the FBI worry about it," Gibbs said, heading to the sedan.

"Shotgun," Kate & Ari said at the same time. Kate elbowed Ari in the gut and took off running. Ari took a deep breath and took off at full speed after Kate. She still beat him.

"It's for the best," Gibbs said. "If he wakes up, I want you to be able to subdue him."

Ari nodded and climbed into the sedan as Gibbs put his foot through the floor. Luckily, Eschel didn't come to at any point before the team returned to the Navy Yard.

_**A/N: Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. Keep reviews coming. Next chapter, a few Kate/Ari moments...**_


	9. Trust

_**Friday, October 29, 2004.**_

In the month that Ari had worked with Gibbs' team, he finally managed to earn their trust and respect. His feelings for Kate were also reaching a peak, but nobody suspected anything. Except for Abby. She knew something was hinky, and at the end of a particularly dull week, she locked Ari in her lab until he admitted that he had feelings for Kate. He wasn't going to make it easy.

"This is ridiculous," Ari said after Abby locked the door. "Let me out of here."

"Not until you admit that you have feelings for Kate," Abby answered. "Admit it."

"I believe the American expression is 'taking the Fifth.' I am taking the Fifth."

"Admit it."

"Never."

"Admit it."

"Never."

"Damn it, Ari. Just admit it."

"Never. Never. NEVER."

"Just admit it."

Arguing with Abby was a lost cause, and Ari was beginning to see that. Finally, he gave in. "If I ask her on a date, will you stop?"

"You know about Gibbs' Rule 12, right?"

"_Never, ever involve a lawyer?_"

"That's Rule 13. Rule 12 is _Never date a coworker._ Before you ask Kate out, you need to get Gibbs' permission to break Rule 12."

"And how do you suppose I do that?"

"YOU might need a peace offering."

"Such as?"

"Go to a liquor store and buy a bottle of their best bourbon. Then give the bottle to Gibbs when you visit him in his basement. Do you know the story of Gibbs' basement?"

"I haven't a clue."

"Basically, you can say whatever's on your mind and it stays in the basement. It's sorta like Vegas."

"Thank you for the advice, Abigail."

Abby's eyes narrowed to slits. "If you don't start calling me 'Abby,' I will boil you from the inside out."

"My apologies, Abby. Now let me out of here. Please," he added at the look on Abby's face.

"That's better." Abby used the remote control that she had everything in her lab synced to and opened the door.

Ari left the lab in such a hurry that he ran into Kate in the hallway, almost knocking her over. He used his arm to break her fall, staring deep into her eyes as she stared back into his. And then Ari felt a sharp smack on the back of his head.

"Eye sex counts as grab-ass, Officer Haswari," Gibbs said. "Get your stuff and go home; week's over."

Ari nodded and let go of Kate, who had regained her balance by this point. He gave her a small wink before heading back to the bullpen to collect his stuff. His way forward was clear: Bourbon, basement, & Kate. He would probably have to resign from Mossad, but he didn't care. He wanted Kate, and he could tell that Kate wanted him.

...-_-...

Gibbs was working on his boat when he heard the basement door open.

"You gonna come down here or stand there with your thumb up your ass, Ari?" Gibbs asked with his back to the staircase.

"I will take the less painful option," Ari joked, walking down the stairs with a bottle of bourbon in his hand.

"So you're shoving your thumb up your ass?"

"Not in a million years." Ari shuddered, remembering his IDF physical. He pushed the memory out of his mind and set the bottle on Gibbs' workbench.

"What's on your mind?" Gibbs popped the bottle and poured two glasses. He kept one and pushed the other toward Ari.

Ari took his glass and drank. "Caitlin."

"Forget it."

"Do you even know what I am going to ask?"

"I have a pretty good idea. Romance between Agents doesn't work, Ari. That's why I have Rule 12."

"I do not just want Caitlin. I am trying to make a fresh start."

"Come again?"

"Eli David, the Director of Mossad, is mine and Ziva's father."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. The bastard knocked up my mother only to have the perfect mole to infiltrate the Gaza Strip and terrorist groups around the world. My mother was a doctor, so Eli sent me to Edinburgh so that I could work alongside her... _**as his spy.**_ He then gave me the ultimate reason to hate his guts."

"What did he do?"

"He had my mother killed- on a day I was visiting him in Tel Aviv. It was a retaliatory strike at the camp where my mother was working. Since that day, I have been praying for a way out of Mossad and that life. And then I met Caitlin. I have known from that day that I was not destined to stay at Mossad."

"I'm still not sold on you dating Kate. Convince me."

"I will make you a deal, Agent Gibbs."

"What sort of deal?"

"If you give me six weeks, just six weeks, to prove that Caitlin and I can have a romantic relationship and not let it interfere with our work, I will resign from Mossad."

"And if it does interfere with your work?"

"I will still resign from Mossad. And you can kick my ass."

"You've got a deal, Ari." Gibbs shook Ari's hand, and their bet was official. In his mind, Gibbs was hoping that Ari lost so he'd go back to Israel and things could return to some level of abnormal with his team.

Ari changed the subject. "I should have said this when I was assigned to your team. I am sorry that I shot you."

"Don't be; you had to sell your cover. Hell, that's _**one**_ reason why _**I**_ shot _**you**_. But I still want to kick your ass."

Ari turned his back to Gibbs. "Kick away."

"I believe I will." Gibbs drew back his foot and kicked Ari in the ass as hard as he possibly could.

"Do you feel better?"

Gibbs smacked Ari on the head. "I do now."

Ari nodded and started walking (gingerly) up the basement stairs. "I will see you on Monday, Gibbs."

"Where you going?"

"If you have to ask..."

"I don't want to know. Just play it safe."

Ari nodded and left Gibbs' house with a smile on his face. Once in his car, he sped off for Kate's place. '_Gibbs, you are going to lose this bet,_' he thought.

...-_-...

When Ari got to Kate's, he gently rapped on her door, with the same smile on his face he'd had since he left Gibbs' basement. Kate opened her door somewhat wearily, and she was slightly shocked to see Ari standing on the other side. A brief awkward silence followed.

"Um... hey," Kate said.

"Hey back," Ari replied. So much for playing it cool.

"W- What are you doing here?"

"I could tell you. but that would be no fun. I want you to guess."

"Did you talk to Gibbs?"

Ari nodded sheepishly. "Yes. Abby advised me to before asking you on a date."

"Ask me on a date?" Kate repeated.

"You are a desirable woman, Caitlin. I am surprised that one of your co-workers has not already swept you off your feet."

"Gibbs is a father figure and DiNozzo and McGee are like my brothers. So when were you thinking we should go out?"

"The sooner, the better?"

"Is tomorrow soon enough?"

"Tomorrow is perfect. Is 8:00 p.m. alright?"

"That's fine, Ari."

Kate leaned in and kissed Ari for what felt like hours. They broke apart when oxygen was needed and one of Kate's neighbors started yelling for them to get a room.

"_Halayla Zeh Hazman,_" Ari whispered between breaths. He kissed her this time, ignoring the neighbors' protests.

Kate rolled her eyes and pulled Ari inside before slamming the door shut. Clothes came off, and the only word that could describe the rest of their night was 'passionate.'

_**Useless Trivia Note: "Halayla Zeh Hazman" is also a song by Israeli Musician Gad Elbaz from his 2004 Album "Meanings." "Halayla Zeh Hazman" roughly translates to "Tonight is the Night."**_


	10. Compromised

The hunt for Ray Cruz was beginning to drag on into weeks. The weeks soon turned into months. September became October. October became November. November then slowly drifted into December. Cruz fled Rome in Late November, and the best lead didn't come through until Early December.

_**Wednesday, December 8, 2004.**_

Ziva walked back into the safe house, muttering angrily in Hebrew. Sam & Westen were out looking for a CIA informant, and Tony was setting up a feed to MTAC on his computer. He looked up when he heard Ziva.

"I'm not fluent in Hebrew, but I'm pretty sure you just swore," he joked. "What's wrong?"

"I went to meet with one of my informants," Ziva replied. "Before he could tell me anything, he was shot."

"Where'd the shot come from?"

"He was shot in the back."

"Did you know him well?"

"He was one of my most trustworthy informants in this region. He wanted to meet in private, but I convinced him to meet me in public. I feel like such an idiot!"

Tony stood up and pulled Ziva into a hug. "It's not your fault. There was no way that you could have known what was going to happen out there."

"Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"How am I doing?"

Ziva shrugged. "Eh."

"Well, then, tonight, how about you and I sneak out of here sneak out of here by the moonlight with a bottle of Italy's finest wine? What do you say?"

Before Ziva could answer, the MTAC Feed went live. "_DiNozzo, are you trying to catch a killer or get lucky?_" Gibbs' voice rang out like a head-slap, so Tony turned and faced the monitor.

"I can multi-task," he answered, still holding Ziva.

"_Multi-task later. What do you got?_"

On that note, Tony finally released Ziva. "Cruz fled Rome. Right now, we have nothing. Officer David had a meeting with an informant, but before he could tell her anything, he was shot in the back. He's dead. Agent Westen and Commander Axe are out looking for a CIA Informant right now."

"_Well, we might have something for you then. Ari called one of his contacts in Italy; looks like Cruz is in Naples._"

Ziva, get the details," Tony said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I'm gonna let Westen know."

...-_-...

Westen and Sam were standing were standing in a cramped room waiting for their informant. He was late, to say the least.

_As a spy, you learn to mind your surroundings. Where the cameras are placed... Where there are witnesses... And where you can make a quick exit..._

"This is getting ridiculous," Westen growled, checking his watch.

"Is Giovanni running that late?" Sam asked.

"Put it this way: He has five minutes or we're gone."

Sam nodded as the door to the room was kicked in and two guys with guns entered.

_...Of course, if you're trapped in a small, windowless room with people who want you dead, you're pretty much screwed._

"I take it Giovanni's not coming," Sam muttered.

"Good guess," Westen muttered back. "He's probably dead."

"Which of you is NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo?" The shorter of the men asked.

"Neither of us," Westen said.

"Do you know where we can find him?"

"Neither of us even knows this Special Agent DiNozzo," Sam said. "So if you want to find him, you should try asking someone else."

"Who are you?"

Sam went into smart-ass mode, using the Geneva Convention as a weapon. "Axe, Sam. Commander, United States Navy. Serial Number... Uh... I don't really remember it."

"Get out."

Sam looked at Westen, who nodded.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Sam said as he left the room. Westen clenched his fists as he looked at the two men.

"Agent Westen, I grow tired of asking you. _**Where**_ is DiNozzo?"

_When someone puts a gun to your head, you either do what they say or you get shot. Or, you pull out a bigger gun. Or, you take their gun away from them. Or you do __**any one of 147 other things.**__ Personally, I prefer option three._

The shorter man put his gun directly on Westen's temple. That was a mistake. Westen delivered a kick to his adversary's head and pistol-whipped the taller man with the shorter's gun. He left the room at a run for the car that he "borrowed" earlier.

"Floor it, Sam!" Westen yelled, slamming his door shut.

Sam peeled away from the curb, asking, "Mike, what the hell's going on? Who were those guys?"

"I don't know. But if they're looking for DiNozzo, we may have been compromised. Get us back to the safe house as fast as this thing can go."

"You gonna let 'em know?"

"Yeah. They may be in deep..." Westen's phone started ringing. "Give me a second. Agent Westen."

"_Westen, it's DiNozzo. Cruz is in Naples._"

"That's great to hear. But we ay have a problem."

"_Define 'problem,' Agent Westen._"

"We may have been compromised. You and Officer David grab everything and scuttle that place. Ditch your car for something faster. Go to a Mossad safe house. Sam and I'll meet you there." Click.

...-_-...

Tony snapped his phone shut and looked at Ziva. "We've been compromised. We need to get everything out, scuttle this place, and grab a new car. This time, we're going to one of _**your**_ safe houses. Westen and Axe are gonna meet us there. Let's go."

"I'll place the explosives if you find a fast car," Ziva said.

"Deal." Tony left to look for a faster car while Ziva set the charges and threw everything into the go-bags that they belonged to. That took the better part of an hour. Tony returned with a Ferrari as Ziva was walking out of the safe house.

"Move over," Ziva said to Tony.

"What?"

"We are going to a Mossad safe house, ergo, I drive."

Tony wasn't in the mood to argue, so he moved over into the passenger's seat. He regretted his decision as soon as Ziva hit the accelerator. The safe house exploded behind them, raining down chunks of cinder-block and flaming pieces of wood. Ziva started driving like Dale Earnhardt as she swerved to avoid the debris. Tony started muttering prayers in Latin, and a small smile graced Ziva's face.

Ziva wouldn't have been smiling if she knew what was going to happen next...

_**So the next chapter, someone gets Burned. Anyone wanna guess? Reviews are appreciated. Toda! And try to guess who the goons are too. They'll be back.**_


	11. Burned

_**Thursday, December 9, 2004.**_

Westen and Sam got to the Naples safe house at about 0800 Roman Standard Time (RST), and they both noticed the Ferrari around back.

"How inconspicuous," Sam said sarcastically.

"Well, I did say a fast car," Westen replied. "And those are about a dime a dozen around here."

The door opened and Tony pulled the other two inside.

"Nice of you to join us," he said.

"We had to shake a couple of tails and ditch our car twice," Sam said.

"Everything's all set up inside. Get a couple hours of sleep and then we'll trade of shifts looking for Cruz."

"Have you already started looking?" Westen asked.

"We have had three dead ends so far," Ziva said. "We are going to meet with a Mossad informant in an hour."

"And you hope he'll lead us to Cruz?"

"Yes, I do. I want to find Cruz and deliver his head to the family of the NCIS Agent that he killed."

"Cruz worked for the Agency. Why would he be taken to NCIS?"

"Gibbs' Rule Number 38," Tony said. "Your case, you're lead. Cruz comes to **_NCIS_** because he murdered one of _**our**_ Agents. _Vance_ prefers him alive. _I_ say shoot the bastard."

"I second shooting him," Westen said.

"I third the motion," Ziva said.

"Commander, where do you stand on this?" Tony asked Sam.

"We should bring him alive, but he did murder an NCIS Agent," Sam said. "So, I say shoot him."

"So we all agree on that. Now we just have to find him." Tony checked his watch and motioned to Ziva. "We have to get going, Ziva. This informant of yours won't wait forever."

Ziva grabbed the key for the Ferrari and followed Tony outside. Westen, instead of sacking out, opened his Agency e-mail account. The first e-mail that he saw was subjected _Burn Notice._ The target of the Burn Notice was Ziva.

"Sam, get in here!" Westen yelled.

"What's going on, Mike?" Sam asked, doubling back to where Westen was sitting.

"We have a problem."

"What's wrong?"

"One of our team got a Burn Notice."

"Who was it?"

"David."

"DiNozzo's girlfriend got Burned?"

"She is, well, **_was_**, Mossad, Sam."

"Well, you have to let her know."

"Not over an unsecured cell phone line. I'm gonna let her know when she and DiNozzo get back."

"That means the mission's over, doesn't it?"

"That's up to DiNozzo; this op is being run by NCIS."

...-_-...

Ziva shuddered while she and Tony were at a red light.

"What was that?" Tony asked.

"What was what?"

"That shudder you just did. What was it?"

"A chill went up my spine. The last time that happened, a Mossad Operative was killed in a setting similar to this."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ziva saw a couple of people pull big guns out from under their jackets. As the bullets started flying, she pulled Tony down and put her foot through the floor, swerving in and out of traffic and on and off the sidewalks. She knew the quickest and safest way back to the safe house because two years earlier, Ziva worked an op in Naples with NCIS Special Agent Jenny Shepard.

"What the hell was that?!" Tony yelled.

"I don't know," Ziva replied, handing Tony her phone. "Here. Call everybody on my phone that is Mossad; see if they can get us out of this."

Tony started calling Ziva's Mossad contacts, his frustration building after each failed call. He heard the same message each time: "_המספר שאתה מנסה להגיע אינו קיים. אנא הנח את השפופרת וחיוג חוזר._ _The number you are trying to reach does not exist. Please hang up and redial._"

"You have got to be _**FUCKING**_ kidding me!" Tony yelled. "All these contacts' numbers don't exist according to your cell phone company."

Ziva started swearing in every language that she spoke, with the exception of English. "This cannot be happening."

"What can't be happening?"

"I will tell you back at the safe house."

After another few minutes, Ziva parked the Ferrari outside the safe house. Tony immediately bailed out of the car and puked up his insides on the closest tree. Ziva was more hostile behind the wheel than Gibbs, and that was saying something.

"What the hell's going on?" Tony asked when he and Ziva were inside.

"I have an answer," Westen said. "David, someone put out a Burn Notice on you. Your informants have all likely been killed, and your co-workers have been given 'new' phone numbers, which are the same numbers, but they can't be reached from your phone. Your bank accounts have been frozen. Your credit, frozen. Job history? None to speak of. And your Mossad days are over." Westen turned to Tony. "It's up to you, DiNozzo. Do we abort or keep looking for Cruz?"

"We keep going," Tony answered, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "But we'll need some help."

"Who are you calling?"

"My team back home. Gibbs will know what to do."

Tony placed the call, not knowing what to expect.

_***Ominous Music* What will happen next? Will Gibbs help his Senior Field Agent in this desperate hour?**__** Stay tuned to find out!**_


	12. Trace

Washington, D.C., 0330 local time. Same day.

Gibbs' cell phone started ringing, echoing through his basement, where he'd fallen asleep working on his boat.

"Yeah, Gibbs," he answered gruffly.

"_Boss, it's DiNozzo-_"

"Do you have _**any**_ idea what time it is?"

"_It's 0930 here._"

"Yeah? It's _**0330**_ here. What's going on?"

"I don't want to discuss it over an un-secure line. How fast can you get to MTAC?"

Gibbs started up the basement stairs. "I'm leaving now. Call everyone else; tell them to get to the Navy Yard too." Click.

...-_-...

Kate was asleep, but Ari was wide awake, and he was admiring the tattoo Abby managed to talk Kate into getting. Ari never figured Kate for the tat type whenever they'd had their various run-ins in the past. He snapped out of his thoughts, however, when her cell started ringing. Not wanting to wake Kate, Ari answered, trying out his comedy skills.

"You have reached Special Agent Caitlin Todd's phone," he said. "She is currently-"

"_Ari, wake her up, both of you get dressed, and get to the MTAC Facility at NCIS ASAP,_" Tony snapped. "_Gibbs' orders and mine._" Click.

Ari shook Kate gently to wake her up and ended up taking a thumb to the eye.

"Ow," Ari said, rubbing his eye. "Why'd you do that?"

"Why'd you wake me up?" Kate asked.

Ari held up Kate's phone. "DiNozzo just called. He said that we need to get to NCIS."

"Did he say why?"

"No. I guess we will find out when we get there. Now, up."

Kate groaned and rolled out of bed, but not before punching Ari in his bad shoulder.

...-_-...

McGee was raiding his fridge, in desperate search for a Red Bull. As much as he loved having Abby in his bed, he needed to keep up his energy. His phone started ringing, and before he made it back to his room, Abby answered.

"Hello?"

"_What are you doing with McGee's phone, Abby?_" Tony asked.

"Oh, hey, Tony. Don't tell Gibbs?" Abby added hopefully, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on McGee's face.

"_I'll think about it. You and McLoverboy need to get to the Navy Yard. MTAC, as fast as you can._" Click.

McGee looked like he was about to wet his pants.

"What?" Abby laughed.

"Abby, I love you, but you are going to get me _**killed**_," McGee answered as he kissed Abby.

"We're needed at the Navy Yard."

"Let me get my pants on." McGee managed to find his pants (And the rest of his clothes) after about 15 minutes. He grabbed his keys and basically ran out of his apartment to catch up to Abby.

...-_-...

The entire team was assembled in MTAC by 0430. Tony's feed came through, and he looked more than a little upset.

"What happened, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"_One of my team got a Burn Notice,_" Tony answered. "_Ari, open your Mossad e-mail account and tell me if it's there._"

Ari opened his e-mail and screamed a very loud obscenity in Arabic.

"_I'll take that as a 'yes.' McGee, I want you and Abby to trace the Burn Notice back to its source, now._"

"Do it," Gibbs said. "DiNozzo, who on your team was Burned?"

"_It was Ziva, boss._"

Abby & McGee started tracing the e-mail back to its source. The signal was bounced all around the globe, but it was still traced in less than an hour.

"Wait a minute, this can't be right," McGee said

"_What?_" Tony snapped.

"This trace. It led back to the person that Burned Officer David-"

"_Who did it?!_"

"It was Director Vance," Abby said.

Tony looked mad enough to kill. "_Are you sure, Abby?_"

"One hundred percent," Abby replied.

Tony muttered in Italian. "_Ari, contact your Director. Tell him we're closing in on Cruz and we will be handing him over to Mossad at the NCIS Building._"

"Consider it done," Ari said. "What do you want to do about Vance?"

"_I'm gonna Burn him back. None of you can let Leon know what's going on until this team is back for debriefing._"

"DiNozzo, you look after my sister," Ari said. "She is the closest family I have."

"_Don't worry, Ari. You have my word: Nothing will happen to Ziva._"

"DiNozzo, **_your_** mission has just changed,' Gibbs said. "Let Westen and Axe bring in Cruz. You do not let Ziva David out of your sight. We'll be here next time you make contact."

"_I'll keep in touch, Boss._"

Gibbs made a slashing motion across his throat, and the feed was cut. He walked out of MTAC, muttering something that sounded like, "I need coffee."

_**So this is a pretty short chapter, but it sets in motion the rest of the events that will take place. Reviews appreciated. Toda.**_


	13. New Orders

Tony looked at Westen and Sam; Ziva walked back into the room when Tony started talking.

"You two heard the new orders. You find Cruz, you bring him in. We're handing him over to Mossad when we get back to NCIS."

"And what are you going to be doing?" Ziva asked Tony.

"Protecting you," Tony replied. "You're **_not_** leaving this safe house without me, and if you try, I will tie you up."

Ziva glared at Tony. "I don't need protection. I can take care of myself."

"My orders didn't come from a politician in a goddamn office. They came from your brother, and I am going to follow them." Tony turned to Sam & Westen. "Start working every informant that you can think of. The sooner we get Cruz, the sooner we can get out of here and give Vance what's coming to him."

Westen and Sam left the safe house and started working CIA informants in and around Naples.

"You think this is a good idea?" Sam asked. "Leaving them alone, I mean?"

"They'll be fine," Westen answered, sitting in the driver's seat. "It's not like this is Dublin, back in '93."

"Nobody got burned back in '93."

"I know." Westen started the car and pulled away from the curb, remembering that op in '93, more specifically the IRA gun-runner that had fallen for his cover I.D.

"So who's our first stop?" Sam asked, bringing Westen back to reality.

"An ex-KGB Officer named Arkady. I got him out of some hot water a few years ago, so he owes me BIG."

"You really think he'll lead us to Cruz?"

"He'd better. Those two can't stand each other."

"They tried to kill each other?"

"Something like that." Westen spotted Arkady sitting outside a bistro. "There he is."

"Where?"

"Early 50's, gray hair, drinking from the flask."

Westen parked a few blocks north of the bistro, and he and Sam walked back. When Arkady saw Westen, he started cursing wildly.

"Don't go anywhere, Arkady," Westen said. "We need a little bit of information."

"Of course," Arkady said sarcastically. "What can I do for you?"

Sam & Westen sat down on either side of Arkady.

"Ray Cruz," Sam said. "Where is he?"

"Ray Cruz is in Naples?" "Yes," Westen answered. "He murdered an NCIS Agent in Tel Aviv, right under the nose of the Director of Mossad."

"And Cruz is still alive?"

"Yeah, but he's not with the Agency anymore. We know that you have your fingers in a lot of pies around here. Where is Ray Cruz?"

Arkady leaned in closer to Westen & Sam, dropping his voice to a whisper. "You did not hear this from me. There is an old KGB safe house that has been powered up over the past week. Ray Cruz is there."

Sam & Westen rose to leave. Before they left, Sam said, "Thanks, Arkady. Let us know if he moves."

"That I shall do."

Walking back to their car, Sam asked, "Mike, how do we play this one? Is it the Canada play?"

"Luckily, no," Westen answered through gritted teeth. "We stake him out, and if the intel's good, we go after him. But we can't bust him without a green light." Westen's phone started ringing. "Hello?"

"_Michael, it's your mother. I need a favor._"

"Ma, I'm in _**ITALY!**_" Westen yelled, somewhere between shock and anger. "I can't do you any favors right now." Click.

_My mom would have made a great NSA communications operative. Drop me in the middle of the Gobi Desert, hide me on top of the Himalayas, bury me in a goddamn cave on the moon, and somehow, some way, she'd find a way to call me and ask me for a favor._

Westen took off his jacket and screamed into it, causing people on the street to stop and stare at him.

_**Don't you just love the old jokes?**_

_**Next chapter is gonna get personal... I suggest you "plug your ears" when you read it.**_


	14. Eli

_**This chapter starts out personal... But then it just gets weird. FAIR. WARNING. If you don't heed this warning, *head-slap***_

Ari's head was still reeling. Ziva was burned, meaning she was out of a job. Thanks in part to a head-slap from Gibbs, Ari managed to wrap his head around the situation. After another minute, he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"McGee, initiate a video-conference with this person," Ari said, handing McGee the paper. "It's my Director," he added.

"Boss?" McGee asked.

"Do it," Gibbs replied.

McGee started working his magic, which took all of five minutes. He gave Ari a thumbs-up, and the feed went live. Mossad Director Eli David did not look at all pleased.

"_Officer Haswari, this better be an emergency,_" Eli snapped.

"That depends," Ari snapped back. "Is your daughter being served a Burn Notice considered an emergency to you?"

"_It comes with the territory._" Eli's tone was indifferent, like he didn't even care.

Ari's blood pressure spiked and hit a boiling point. He snapped. "Did you not understand me?! _**My sister, your daughter,**_ is in trouble! And you have the _**nerve**_ to just sit there and say 'it comes with the territory?!' _**You are a BASTARD!**_"

"_What are you implying?_"

"I think you know what I am implying, Eli. Do you not care about your family? If you just managed to act like a father _**for once in your life**_, you would see that your daughter needs your help."

"_Do not take that tone of voice with me, Haswari._"

"Get your head out of your fucking ass, Eli. Do you need a hearing aid or-"

"If you insist on addressing me in this disrespectful manner-"

"I WILL ADDRESS YOU HOWEVER I PLEASE! This is not some faceless operative that we are talking about-"

"STAND DOWN, HASWARI!" Gibbs ordered.

"_And you are?_" Eli asked Gibbs.

"Special Agent Gibbs," Gibbs replied. "Ari is filling in for one of my Agents: Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. He's leading the op that your daughter is on right now. I will only warn you once: If my Agent gets killed or seriously wounded because you didn't clean up your mess, I will come after you myself."

"_Agent Gibbs, I want to see if I have this right. You are saying that my operative getting burned is my mess, and if anything happens to Agent Meatball, you are going to come after me?_"

"You're damn right I will. Because you may know how to be the Director of Mossad, but you sure as hell don't know how to be a father."

Gibbs looked at McGee and made a slashing motion across his throat. The feed was cut, but not before Eli delivered an onslaught of profanity that could be heard by the corpses in Autopsy.

Gibbs smacked Ari on the head again, harder than he'd ever smacked anyone, including Tony.

"What was that for?!" Ari yelled, tacking on some Hebrew profanity.

"Rule Number 10," Gibbs snapped. "_**Never**_ get personally involved on a case. I understand that we're talking about your sister, but if you ever pull another stunt like that, I will kick your ass back to Israel. Do you read me?"

"Like a cheap novel." Ari was still rubbing his head; Gibbs had given him a concussion.

...-_-...

Westen pulled up outside the safe house and saw Tony banging his head against the door. Repeatedly.

"What's this about?" Sam asked.

"Eli David just made contact," Tony replied. "It seems he got wind of Ziva's situation and is blaming everyone under the sun, including Ziva. Gibbs got into it with Eli, and apparently, he's on the verge of starting an international incident between the U.S. and Israel. So, how'd it go with your guy?"

"Arkady gave us Cruz's location. He's holed up in an old KGB safe house outside town. What's the call?"

"Stakeouts, alternating 12-hour shifts. Ziva and I will take the day watch; you two take the nights. Day shift starts at 0700, night shift at 1900. Once we have enough evidence that Cruz is there, we grab him."

The shouting match between Ziva and Eli was escalating, and pretty soon, Tony, Sam, & Westen could hear every word of it.

"We should probably let Eli know that we've found Cruz," Tony suggested.

"You want to take the heat off your girlfriend?" Sam asked.

"That, and I want to tell Director David to keep his plane on stand-by. As soon as we grab Cruz, we have to let Eli know."

The three men walked inside as Ziva released another profane tirade. Tony tapped her on the shoulder and made a "move over" motion with his hand.

"_Agent DiNozzo, you had better have a good reason for my daughter getting Burned,_" Eli snapped over the feed.

"Director David, if I had all the answers, I would've run for President to replace George W. Bush," Tony joked. "But on a more serious note, we have found Ray Cruz."

"_You have?_"

"Yes, we have. We'll deliver him to you personally at the NCIS Building in Washington after we grab him. And as an added bonus, I'll even deliver the bastard that Burned Ziva."

"_I would greatly appreciate that, Agent Meatball._"

"Meatball?" Tony repeated, feigning insult. "Meatball? Did you just call _moi_ a meatball?"

Ziva turned away from the computer and burst out laughing. Eli shook his head as a small smirk crossed his face.

And then Gibbs' MTAC Feed came through.

"_DiNozzo, you're not being paid to be a comedian,_" he said.

"Hey, boss," Tony said. He then spoke without thinking. "This just became a three-way, didn't it?"

"_**That's what she said!**_" Ziva said between fits of laughter.

"Anyway..." Tony was trying (and failing) to keep a straight face.

"_You feeling okay, DiNozzo?_" Gibbs asked.

"Agent Westen, take over here," Tony said, unable to contain his laughter.

Westen stepped up to the monitor and briefed Gibbs and Eli. "We have located Ray Cruz. He's holed up in an old KGB safe house just outside of town, so we're going to stake it out to make sure the intel's good. If it is, we're going to grab him and turn him over to Director David at the NCIS Building."

"_That's good to hear,_" Gibbs said. "_Shifts been set?_"

"They have. Shifts start at 0700 and 1900, respectfully."

"_Good. Don't screw it up by killing him._"

"We won't." Westen cut the feed and turned to Sam. "If that safe house is where I think it is, we should get going."

"It's that far away?" Sam asked. The look on Westen's face seemed to answer the question.

_**Coming up: Stakeouts, the spies from Ch. 10 are named, and 3 little words that will change everything. STAY TUNED! REVIEW! TODA!**_


	15. Three Little Words

_Though they are a necessary element of the spy game, stakeouts are a royal pain in the ass. You spend hours on end wondering if your target is actually where you're looking for them, while trying to avoid being spotted. You also have to avoid the cops at all costs._

* * *

By the time that Westen found the ideal spot to observe Cruz, the time was around 1940. They could see Cruz; he couldn't see them. And yet, something about this cool, crisp, Mid-December Night felt off.

They could see Cruz moving near a window at the front of the house. Sam grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures of CI-Ray, but his gut was troubling him, and it had nothing to do with the anchovy and goat cheese pizza that he had for lunch.

"Mike, you ever get the feeling that something bad's about to happen but you don't know when it's gonna happen?" Sam asked.

"Every time I work with you, Sam," Westen joked.

"I'm serious, damn it. I _know_ something bad's gonna happen, but I don't know _when_."

"When was your last psych evaluation?"

"I'm not crazy. Just trust me on this one."

Sam snapped a couple more pictures and then grabbed a video camera, enabling night vision so he could see a bit better.

"What do you think it is?" Westen finally asked.

"I don't know," Sam replied. "That's what scares me here."

"The fact that you don't know?"

"Yeah, exactly." After another moment, Sam changed the subject. "One thing is certain, though. Ray Cruz is in that safe house."

Westen nodded. "Arkady was right. For once. His information usually sucks."

"Didn't he almost get you killed once?"

"Yeah. Lithuania, '95. I _**almost**_ forgot about that. Thanks, Sam."

"Anytime, brother. Any time."

Westen pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Tony. "We need a plan of action."

"_DiNozzo._"

"Our intel was good; Cruz is in the safe house."

"_But..._"

"But he may not be for long. It looks like he's preparing to bug out. He may only be here another couple days, tops."

"_We'll have to grab him soon. I'll give you a time later._" Click.

...-_-...

Back at the safe house, Tony & Ziva were watching a movie. Supposedly. But really, they were just making out.

And then Ziva's Ninja Senses started tingling.

"Tony, did you hear that?" She whispered.

"Hear what?" Tony whispered back.

"There is someone upstairs."

"No there's not. It's just the movie." Tony kissed Ziva again and then he heard it. "Okay, that wasn't the movie."

"I told you." Ziva pulled her gun from its holster and went upstairs. Tony followed, his own SIG at the ready.

The bathroom, the hall closet, and a couple of the bedrooms were clear. Tony was heading back to the living room when he heard a scream from the back bedroom. The door was locked, so he had to kick it in. When he did, he saw one of the guys that was looking for him, holding Ziva in a choke with a gun pressed against her head.

"Drop the gun!" Tony yelled.

"I cannot do that," the man replied.

"I said 'drop it,'" Tony cocked the hammer on his SIG and took aim. "Or I'll drop you."

"You will miss."

"You wanna take that chance?"

Tony looked at Ziva and winked, then fired off two rounds. When Round 1 hit the man, he released Ziva. When Round 2 hit him, he fell through the window. If the double-tap to the head didn't kill him, landing on top of his head did. Tony called Westen; it was time to grab Cruz.

"_Yeah?_"

"We grab Cruz at 0700 tomorrow." Click.

"What the hell was that about?" Tony asked Ziva, who was shaking.

"His name was Michael Rivkin," Ziva said, her voice shaking as well. "For the past twelve months, he and his handler, Ilan Bodnar, have been classified as ex-Mossad. Their positions were terminated after an op in Cairo went wrong and almost cost an NCIS Agent her life. Rivkin and Bodnar dropped off the face of the Earth after that."

Tony could hear the fear in Ziva's voice. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Ziva started shaking even more as she sat down on the bed. "Why do you care?"

Tony sat down next to Ziva and took her in his arms. "Would you believe me if I-"

"If you what?"

"Would you believe me if I said I love you?"

Ziva was slightly taken aback. "Say it, Tony. Look me in the eye and tell me you love me."

Tony did just that. Taking Ziva's hands in his, he looked her in the eye and said, "I love you, Ziva." He kissed her with so much passion that it took her a few seconds to catch up.

"I love you, too, Tony," Ziva panted, taking her shirt off and throwing it across the room. Tony followed suit, and in the blink of an eye, they were making love.

As Tony let his hands wander over Ziva's slender figure, he realized that she forgot to mention one key piece of information: She was a screamer. He had been with a few screamers before, but none like her. She contorted her body into positions that Tony had never seen before, and he'd remember them forever. Ziva's moans increased in volume by the minute, until eventually, she shattered a window.

Ziva whispered something into Tony's chest, then kissed him and his eyes glazed over.

'_This chick is a sexual dynamo,_' Tony thought as Ziva kissed him. Once oxygen was more than necessary, they broke the kiss and fell asleep in each other's arms.

_**Next up, a little something for Leroy Jethro...**_


	16. Midnight Visitor

At 2300, D.C. Time, Gibbs was working on his boat when he heard a familiar voice at the top of his basement stairs.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs did a double take when he heard the voice of Jenny Shepard in his basement. He merely grunted in response and turned away from the stairs. The next time he turned around, Jenny was standing right there. Gibbs couldn't avoid the awkwardness of the moment anymore. He had to say something.

"Hey, Jen," he said. "How long's it been?"

"Just over five years," Jenny replied.

A rare smile crossed Gibbs' face. "Paris. That was fun."

"Are you talking about-?"

Gibbs put his finger on Jenny's lips. "I wasn't talking about the op itself."

"What _were_ you talking about?"

"That hotel we were in..." Gibbs trailed off and kissed Jenny, and it was destined to be old times... until Gibbs' phone started ringing.

"Are you going to answer that?" Jenny asked.

"Hell no," Gibbs answered, keeping his face firmly glued to Jenny's neck.

"What happened to 'Never be unreachable'?"

"Give me a second." Gibbs peeled himself off of Jenny and answered his phone rather angrily. "This better be important."

"_Boss, we've made contact with Cruz,_" came Tony's voice. "_We're about to take him down._"

"Did you inform Director David?" Gibbs didn't see it, but Jenny's head snapped up when he mentioned Eli.

"_I did; he said he's on the next plane to D.C._"

"And the other thing?"

"_Check your inbox. Leon's Burn Notice should be there by now. It was sent to every Agency around the globe, except for Mossad._"

"I'm on my way in." Click. "Let's go, Jen."

"What was that about?" Jenny asked.

"One of my Agents is in Italy," Gibbs said. "He's leading a team sent to capture Ray Cruz, the bastard accused of murdering NCIS Agent Adam Davis." He double-timed the basement stairs with Jenny hot on his heels.

"What does Eli David have to do with the op?"

"Davis was murdered right in front of him. Eli's daughter is on the team sent to capture Cruz. Someone put out a Burn Notice on her."

"Ziva was Burned?"

Gibbs stopped in his tracks. "How do you know Officer David?"

"Ziva and I have been working anti-terrorist ops together since 9/11; she saved my life in Cairo last year. How do you know her?"

"We met briefly in September. It seems that she is... involved... with my Agent."

"Where was Ari during all this?"

"Assigned to my team. We goin' or not?" Gibbs was starting to lose his patience. Like always with her. But it would soon be forgotten. Then he saw that she used her car to block him in.

"Yes. But one more question. Who's your Agent on the op?"

"DiNozzo, my Senior Agent." Gibbs took Jenny's keys. "_**I'm driving.**_"

Gibbs tore through the streets while flipping off anyone that honked their horns. He called his team halfway to the Navy Yard to inform them that Cruz was about to be taken down.

_**As usual, reviews are appreciated. Toda.**_


	17. Takedown

_**Friday, December 10, 2004.**_

* * *

0650, RST. Tony, Ziva, Sam, & Westen were setting up to take Cruz down. Tony handed out three small cameras and took a fourth for himself before his team moved into position.

"These go on your ears," he said, "Opposite of your earwigs. These cameras have a direct link to MTAC at NCIS. They can see everything, hear everything, and communicate with us at all times."

"Can we communicate with them?" Ziva asked.

"We can. Let's get into position."

The team moved into position around the house as the MTAC Feed was being set up. Tony checked his watch: 0658.

"Is everyone in position?" He asked over the radio.

"_In position,_" Ziva answered.

"_In position,_" Westen answered.

"_In position,_" Sam answered.

0659:50

"On my mark," Tony said. "5... 4... 3... 2... 1... GO!"

The doors were breached and cockroaches scattered.

...-_-...

Gibbs and the rest of the team in Washington were watching the live camera feeds from MTAC, hoping and praying that this went without a hitch.

"_Living room clear,_" Ziva said.

"_Kitchen's clear,_" Tony said.

"_Latrine's clear,_" Westen said.

"_Closet's clear,_" Sam said.

Two sets of footfalls echoed through the ceiling.

"_Westen, Axe, take the front staircase,_" Tony instructed. "_Ziva, you're with me. Back staircase. Detain all unknowns. Let's go._"

The teams moved up their staircases cautiously, unsure if Cruz had set up any ambushes for them or not.

"_Front's clear,_" Sam said.

Ziva kicked in the door for the upstairs bathroom and caught someone trying to sneak out the small window.

"_Freeze!_" She ordered. "_Get back in here and place your hands on your head!_"

When the guy refused and tried to keep going, Tony pulled him back in and zip-tied his hands.

"_Recognize him?_" Tony asked.

"_Ilan Bodnar,_" Ziva replied. "_Rivkin's former Control Officer._" She bicycle kicked Bodnar and watched him fall.

"_Center bedroom,_" Sam said. "_Someone's in there._"

"_On three,_" Tony said when the team was on either side of the door. "_Ready? 1... 2... 3!_"

Sam kicked in the door. Cruz lunged for a shotgun and took a kick to the face for his troubles.

"_Stay down,_" Sam ordered an unconscious Cruz. He kicked away the shotgun as Tony cuffed ex-CI-Ray.

"_What is the meaning of this?!_" Cruz yelled after he woke up.

"_You're under arrest for the murder of NCIS Special Agent Adam Davis,_" Tony growled. "_And we'll be handing you over to Eli David when we get back to Washington. You're going back to Tel Aviv, Cruz._"

"Bravo Zulu, Tango Eight," Gibbs said. "I will inform the Director that the package has been wrapped and is awaiting delivery."

"_Acknowledged,_" Tony replied. "_How are we getting back?_"

"A C-2 lifts off from the _Seahawk_ at 1600 your time. Make sure you're on it. You'll transfer to a C-130 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany that is bound for Pax River. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah." Gibbs made the slashing motion across his throat and the camera feeds were disconnected from MTAC.

...-_-...

"1600 our time," Tony repeated, checking his watch. "We have seven and a half hours to figure out where to hold this piece of garbage," he kicked Cruz. "And we need to figure out what to about the safe houses."

"They need to be blown up," Sam said. "The Ruskies are renting out their old safe houses, and the one that we're using has traces of classified material inside."

"That makes sense," Tony said. "We need explosives."

"There are about 50 pounds of C-4 in the hall closet," Ziva said. "We could place half here and half at our safe house."

"Brilliant." Tony caught Ziva's eye and winked. Her face turned red and she looked away from his gaze.

"Can you two have eye sex **_after_** you help plant the C-4?" Westen asked after clearing his throat loudly.

"Sure," Tony said. He and Ziva started placing C-4 at opposite sides of the house so that they would not be tempted to drop down on the floor and go for it like they did the night before.

by 0945, the entire place was rigged with 25 pounds of C-4, set to detonate at 1900 RST, to ensure that the team and their prisoners were in the air and heading home.

"We have just over six hours to rig our own place, get to the _Seahawk_, and find somewhere to put Cruz and his boy," Tony said, with another glance at his watch.

"We can put them in the brig on the _Seahawk_," Sam said. "And who's the other guy?"

"He is Ilan Bodnar," Ziva answered. "For the past twelve months, he has been classified ex-Mossad."

"So Cruz was using a former Mossad Spy to help him escape?"

"Two," Ziva corrected. "He also used Michael Rivkin, who is now dead."

"What happened?" Westen asked.

"He snuck into our safe house last night," Tony answered. "He tried to take Ziva and bought 2 in his forehead. So, let's get moving. Commander, you're with me; we're taking these bastards to the _Seahawk_. Westen, you and Ziva go rig our safe house to blow. Make sure that whatever Mossad didn't put there is removed."

"You got it," Westen said.

"Good." Tony tossed Ziva the keys for the Ferrari. "Load the explosives and get moving. Westen, do you have your keys?"

"I've got 'em," Sam said. "You wanna drive?"

"No. As much as I want to kill these bastards, I know that Eli David wants to have a few words with them. Why are we all still standing around here? Let's get moving."

_**The Kate/Ari relationship is gonna start falling into place next chapter. I promise. And something will be his fault too...**_


	18. Need to Know, Part I

Gibbs was watching replays of the raid while waiting for a feed to come through from the _Seahawk_. After watching the raid from Sam's feed (and pounding back his 5th cup of coffee), he got a thumbs-up from McGee, and the _Seahawk_ feed was ready to go. Gibbs nodded and pointed to the screen.

"_Agent Gibbs, what's going on?_" Asked Captain Mark Madden, the C.O. on the _Seahawk_.

"Skipper, you have a C-2 lifting off at 1600 Roman this afternoon," Gibbs said. "I need you to clear everyone and everything off of it."

"_Any special reason, Gunny?_"

"I have a team escorting back two prisoners. That transport needs to be clear to minimize casualties in the event of an escape."

"_Two JAG Lawyers are scheduled to be on that flight._"

"Tell them that the prisoners being escorted back to D.C. are ex-spooks. In other words, _**highly dangerous**_."

"_And this 'team' of yours-_"

"An NCIS Agent, a Mossad Officer, a CIA Agent, and a Navy SEAL, as odd as it sounds."

"_I'll see what I can do about that transport, Gunny, and I'll let you know when your people arrive._"

"Thanks, Skipper."

"_Before I forget, what are the names of your prisoners?_"

"Sir, with all due respect, their names, and what they did, are need to know, and you don't." Gibbs made the familiar slash across his throat, and the feed was cut. He turned around and saw that one of his team was missing. "Where's Kate?"

"I believe she mentioned something about a coffee run," Ari answered.

"A coffee run?" Gibbs repeated.

"A coffee run." The DiNozzo-like grin on Ari's face was getting hard to miss. And Gibbs didn't.

"What the hell are you smiling about, Officer Haswari?"

'_I won our bet,_' Ari signed.

'_So will you quit Mossad?_' Gibbs signed back.

'_I will inform Eli of my decision when he arrives on Monday_.'

Ari suffered a congratulatory head-slap as Gibbs left MTAC, followed by Jenny & McGee. Ari stood reveling in his victory before leaving MTAC as well.

...-_-...

Vance had just sat down in his chair and turned his computer on when his phone started ringing.

"Director Vance."

"_Ray Cruz is in custody,_" Gibbs said. "_The team is heading back to Washington; Eli David is on his way here._" Click.

Vance set his phone down and looked like he was about to crap his pants. Eli David coming to Washington could mean only one thing: Ziva's Burn Notice had been traced back to him. Eli wouldn't have done it; he always put business before family, and Vance knew that. Westen didn't really seem eye-to-eye with Ziva, so that ruled him out. Sam had never met Ziva before this op, so he was out too. That left only one person who could've had it traced: Tony, but he wouldn't have done it alone. He had an entire team at his disposal at the Navy Yard, and Vance was sure that Tony had Abby & McGee run the trace. He was screwed and he knew it.

Looking to the sky, Vance muttered a quick prayer. "God, please don't let Eli David kill me when he arrives on Monday.

...-_-...

"Jethro, what's going on around here?" Jenny asked, putting her phone back into her pocket.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs replied.

"SECNAV just called me. It seems that I'm the new Director of NCIS, effective Monday."

"Congratulations, _**Madame Director**_." Gibbs started shaking with laughter.

"Special Agent Gibbs, _**what**_ is going on around here?!"

Gibbs started walking toward the elevator, and Jenny followed. Having worked under Gibbs (Both figuratively and literally), Jenny knew full well that Gibbs used the elevator as an office. They stepped into the elevator and Gibbs flipped the switch.

"Director Vance issued the Burn Notice on your friend," Gibbs told Jenny. "DiNozzo's team included that CIA Agent; they Burned Leon, and DiNozzo plans to inform Eli David when he arrives here Monday."

"Is there a way for me to see this Burn Notice on Vance?" Jenny asked.

"Try your NCIS e-mail account. According to DiNozzo, the thing should be there." Gibbs flipped the switch again, and he and Jenny stepped off the elevator in time to see Kate coming up the stairs.

"Kate, did you really go for coffee?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Kate replied before turning to Ari. "_**This. Is. Your. Fault!**_"

_**Anyone care to guess? As usual, reviews are welcome. Toda.**_


	19. A Delicate Situation

_Previously..._

_"Where's Kate?"_

_"I believe she mentioned something about a coffee run," Ari answered._

_"A coffee run?" Gibbs repeated._

_"A coffee run."_

_"Kate, did you really go for coffee?" Gibbs asked._

_"No," Kate replied before turning to Ari. "__**This. Is. Your. Fault!**__"_

* * *

"What is my fault?" Ari asked. As if on cue, Kate puked in a trash can. "How long have you been sick, Caitlin?"

"Every morning this week, Kate replied, pulling a small bottle of mouthwash out of her desk.

Ari still didn't get it. And then Gibbs head-slapped him. Again.

"She's pregnant, Ari," Gibbs said, and the room went quiet.

Ari's eyes widened in shock as a small smile crossed his face.

"That is wonderful," he said. He pulled Kate into a hug and lifted her off her feet, planting a kiss on her lips. He only put her down when Abby punched him on the arm.

"Don't do that anymore," Abby ordered. "I verified Kate's suspicions, Ari. She's pregnant."

"It will not happen again," Ari replied, still smiling. He stopped smiling and let Kate go when he saw Gibbs' face.

"Come here," Gibbs said, standing in front of a window.

Ari looked somewhat hesitant as he approached Gibbs.

"What are you going to do?" Gibbs asked.

"I am not my father, if that's what you're implying," Ari answered. "I am going to be in my child's life, and I am **_not_** going to raise a killer."

"Tell her that."

Gibbs pointed to a worried-looking Kate; Ari nodded and walked back over to her. Taking her hand in his, he led her away from the bullpen, stopping only when he was sure that they were out of earshot.

"Ari, what are you going to do about this?" Kate asked.

"I told you about my father and what he did-"

"That's not making me feel better."

"Let me finish. I am not my father, Caitlin. I fully intend to be in my child's life, and I do not intend to raise a killer. Like I said before, I am _**not**_ my father."

"You didn't answer me. What are you going to do?"

Ari pulled a small box out of his pocket. "I had planned on giving you this at a later date, but given the circumstances..."

"Are you asking me to-?"

"Yes. I am resigning from Mossad, and I am going to start a new life here."

"When are you leaving Mossad?"

"I am giving Eli my resignation on Monday. And then we can inform them of our situation."

"Are you referring to me being pregnant, us being engaged, or you being the father?"

"I refer to all three, Caitlin. Since our initial encounter, I have had this feeling that I could not get rid of. I know now that that feeling is love. Had I not worked for Mossad, I would have swept you off of your feet a long time ago."

"I love you too, Ari. That's sort of what got us into this in the first place."

Ari started laughing and slipped the ring box back into his pocket. "That _**is**_ what got us into this. We should rejoin the others, so as not to cause suspicion."

They walked back to the bullpen, and were on the receiving end of a round of applause from Gibbs, Jenny, Abby, & McGee. Kate blushed, but Ari looked downright embarrassed.

_**Coming up: The flight home.**_


	20. Drama at 20,000 Feet

1530, RST. Captain Madden, C.O. of the _Seahawk_, contacted Gibbs and informed him that Tony, Ziva, Westen, and Sam had arrived on the carrier and that their prisoners were in the brig awaiting transport.

1545 rolled around, and Cruz and Bodnar had their heads placed inside canvas bags and were escorted to the aircraft, where they were each given a sedative heavy enough to keep them knocked out until the C-2 landed at Ramstein. Madden contacted Gibbs again to inform him that the team was ready to launch and would do so in the next 15 minutes.

1559:45

"Hold on tight," Tony told Ziva. "You don't wanna lose your lunch."

Before Ziva could utter her comeback, the C-2 shot down the catapult and into the air. As soon as the plane cleared Italian Airspace, both safe houses exploded with blasts that rocked the streets up to the Swiss Border.

...-_-...

The flight went without a hitch, at least until the plane was 15 minutes out from Ramstein. Bodnar managed to shake off the sedative, break his cuffs, and jump the person sitting closest to him, which just so happened to be Ziva. She delivered a few blows to his torso before he managed to put her in a choke.

"Tell the pilot to turn around," he ordered.

Ziva screamed an obscenity in Italian, which got Tony's attention. He rose quickly from his seat to see what was going on behind him.

"Let her go, you son of a bitch," he ordered Bodnar, pulling his SIG.

"Then turn the plane around," Bodnar snapped. By this point, he had three guns trained on his head.

Ziva made a swift movement and flipped Bodnar onto his back, then produced a knife from out of nowhere and drove it through his heart, killing him instantly.

"I will see you in Hell, Ilan," Ziva snapped, pulling her knife out of the wound and wiping it off.

"Okay," Westen muttered.

Tony walked up to the cockpit to inform the pilots of these new developments.

"Tell the control tower to have an emergency team standing by," he said. "One of the prisoners is dead."

"You got it," the co-pilot answered. "Ramstein Control Tower, this is United States Navy C-2 Aircraft, call sign _Nemo-1-7_. One of the persons on board has been killed; NCIS Agent on-board requests a medical team to remove the body."

"Nemo-1-7, _this is Ramstein Tower. Your transmission is acknowledged; begin descent in Runway 0-9. I repeat: Runway 0-9._"

"_Nemo-1-7_ acknowledged. Agent DiNozzo, we land in 5 minutes. Please return to your seat and advise your team to do the same."

Tony gave a thumbs-up and headed back to his seat, relaying what he managed to catch in the cockpit, mainly about the landing.

"We land in 5," he said. "Medical team's waiting for us when we land; they're removing the body and we'll transfer to the C-130 after."

...-_-...

The C-2 touched the runway, and Cruz started stirring. Westen put his gun to Cruz's head and stood after the plane stopped moving. The medical team removed Bodnar's body, the MPs interviewed the team, and they moved to the C-130, dragging Cruz, who was beginning to get his wits about him. He was given another dose of sedatives and thrown none too gently into the cargo hold by Westen. The rest of the team followed, except for Tony, ho had to update Gibbs.

"_Yeah, Gibbs._"

"Ilan Bodnar's dead, boss. He tried to force us to turn around and took a knife in the heart."

"_Who killed him?_"

"Ziva did; I'll include it in my report." Click.

Tony ran onto the plane before the cargo hatch could close; he had to be pulled the rest of the way in by Sam & Westen. After he hit the ground, he got up, dusted himself off, and took a seat next to Ziva, humming _I'll Be Home For Christmas_.

_**As usual, reviews are appreciated. Toda.**_


	21. Touchdown

_**Monday, December 13, 2004.**_

The C-130 touched down at Pax River Naval Air Station at about 1200 hours, Eastern Standard Time. Gibbs & Ari were waiting wit a team of Agents to escort Cruz back to the Navy Yard.

"Welcome back, DiNozzo," Gibbs said.

"Hey, boss," Tony replied. He was only half-listening because Ziva caught his attention when she bent down to tie her boot. This earned him a double head-slap from Gibbs and Ari.

"Where is Cruz?" Ari asked.

"He was just loaded into the van," Tony replied.

"Then let's get going," Gibbs said. "Eli David showed up at the Navy Yard at 0500 wanting to know if you had landed yet and when he could take Cruz back to Israel."

Gibbs tossed Tony the keys for the sedan and took the keys to the van from Ari. Tony and Ziva walked to the sedan as Gibbs started the van and peeled out of Pax River. Tony followed, glad to be back in the U.S. of A.

...-_-...

Director Vance and Eli David were sitting in the conference room when Tony, Westen and Sam entered. (Tony managed to convince Ziva to wait outside to build up Vance's inner guilt.)

"Special Agent DiNozzo, welcome back," Vance said.

"It's good to be back," Tony replied.

"I believe you know Eli David, the Director of Mossad?"

"Only by reputation and a few interesting video-conferences." Tony extended his hand and shook Eli's.

"Let's get this debriefing started," Vance said.

"Just one second, Director," Tony said. "You may notice we're one short. Excuse me."

Tony walked over to the conference room door and opened it. Ziva was staring off into space until Tony muttered "sweetcheeks." She walked into the conference room with a look of indifference on her face, despite the overwhelming urge to strangle Vance for Burning her. Vance looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"_**Now**_ we can get started," Tony said. "On 20 September of this year, former CIA Agent Ray Cruz murdered NCIS Special Agent Adam Davis in Tel Aviv, Israel. Unfortunately for Cruz, he murdered Davis in front of Eli David, the Director of Mossad. A team consisting of an NCIS Agent, a Mossad Officer, a CIA Agent, and a United States Navy SEAL was dispatched to Italy, where Cruz was rumored to be hiding. Initially searching for Cruz in Rome, the team hit multiple dead ends. On 8 December, new information came to light that Cruz was in Naples. On 9 December, a Burn Notice was issued for Mossad Officer Ziva David. On the same day, a CIA Informant revealed that Cruz was hiding in an old KGB safe house on the outskirts of town. This intel was confirmed by a stakeout. Cruz hired ex-Mossad officers Ilan Bodnar and Michael Rivkin in an attempt to help him escape. Rivkin compromised our safe house and was killed while attempting to kill Ms. David on the night of 9 December at about 2030 hours. The team tasked with apprehending Cruz did at 0800 hours on the morning of 10 December. Also apprehended was Ilan Bodnar. He was killed in-flight from the _Seahawk_ to Ramstein Air Base in Germany after attempting to escape."

"All things considered, this op was a success," Vance said.

"I'm not done, Leon," Tony said. "I promised Director David that I would hand over the bastard that Burned his daughter."

"You did?" Vance started sweating and shaking like a nervous wreck.

Busted.

"Yes, I did. Director David, Leon Vance issued the Burn Notice."

Eli looked betrayed and slightly murderous. "Leon, our bond was forged in fire and blood. I would trust you with my life, and now I hear that you are the one responsible for Burning my daughter?!"

"Director David, you'll enjoy this then," Tony said. "Leon was Burned in retaliation. Agent Westen, would you like to tell Leon what he has won?"

Westen stood up and Vance's blood pressure shot up.

"You see, Vance," Westen said, "You've been Burned. Now, it's very simple. _When you're Burned, you've got nothing. No cash. No credit. No job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on _**anyone**_ who's still talking to you. Bottom line: As long as you're Burned, you're not going anywhere._"

"Who Burned me?" Vance demanded.

"That would have been me," Tony answered. "And a one-way ticket has been arranged for you to Greentown, Indiana. Agent Westen, would you mind?"

"Not at all." Westen stuck a sedative in Vance's six and dragged him out of the conference room.

"Can the rest of you give me a moment with my daughter?" Eli asked.

"Tony stays," Ziva said quickly.

"If you wish," Eli replied. After everyone else left, he faced Tony. "Thank you for saving my daughter's life, Agent DiNozzo."

"Nothing I wouldn't have done for anyone else," Tony replied. "Director David, may I be frank?"

"You may."

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't have personal feelings for Ziva-"

Eli held up his hand. "I know."

"Uhh?" Tony said, doing his best Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor impression.

"I see things, Agent Meatball. I see the way that Ziva looks at you, and vise-versa. You have my blessing, **_but_** understand this: If you hurt her, your head will hang like a trophy in my office."

"Duly noted."

"Good." Eli turned from Tony to Ziva. "Ziva, I would like you to return to Mossad. I will even station you at our Embassy in Washington."

The grip that Ziva had on Tony's hand tightened when Eli mentioned returning to Mossad. She didn't want to go back, and she _**would**_ not. And she told Eli as much.

"_Abba_, as much as I respect your opinion, Mossad is in my past," she said. "I want the chance to start over without worrying about being killed everyday."

"Mossad is your 'past,' Ziva?"

"Yes. And the thing about the past is just that: It's the past. _**TODAY**_ is what's important."

"And what is today for you, Ziva?"

"I believe you know the answer to that." Ziva allowed Tony to wrap an arm around her shoulders as she stared at Eli.

Eli nodded. "I understand. I must be going. Where is Cruz?"

"He's in the holding cell," Tony answered. "Agent McGee can escort you there. He'll be the one looking to impress."

Eli stood up, hugged Ziva, and shook Tony's hand again before leaving the conference room.

...-_-...

Ari held Eli up in the bullpen to tender his "resignation."

"Eli, I have something for you," Ari said.

"And what would that be, Officer Haswari?" Eli asked.

"My resignation. Ari drew back and punched Eli as hard as he could, sending a few teeth flying. "And this is for killing my mother, you bastard."

Ari punched Eli again and broke his nose before leaving the bullpen and heading down to Abby's lab to cool off, mainly because Gibbs said that Kate would be working down there for awhile. McGee nodded at Gibbs' silent order and escorted a swearing Eli to the holding cell in order to transfer Cruz into Mossad Custody.

_**Again, reviews appreciated. Toda.**_


	22. Ziva Meets the Family

"It's a good thing I already got Eli's blessing," Tony joked, slipping his hand into Ziva's.

"You did?" Gibbs asked.

"Upstairs in the conference room, before Ari clocked him." Looking from Ziva to Gibbs, Tony changed the subject. "You two haven't been formally introduced yet. Ziva David, this is Special Agent Jethro Gibbs. Boss, this is Ziva."

"It is nice to formally meet you," Ziva said to Gibbs, shaking his hand. "Tony speaks very highly of you."

"He speaks highly of you too," Gibbs said. "Don't let him out of your sight," he added jokingly.

Ziva flashed an evil smile. "I do not plan to."

"C'mon, Zi," Tony said. "You have to meet the rest of my family."

Tony and Ziva walked to the elevator hand in hand, drawing a few awkward stares, mainly from Agent Grady from Polygraph and Fred Seymour from the Accounting Department. Ziva flashed them both death glares in return, watching as they vacated the elevator. Tony shook with laughter and kissed Ziva after the doors closed.

...-_-...

Their first stop was Abby's lab. They could hear the music before the elevator doors opened, and Ziva jumped a mile. Tony laughed and took a slap on the arm.

"That happened to me during my first month here," Tony said. Ziva laughed this time.

They waked into the lab and saw only Ari. Ziva was relieved when he shut off the music.

"Where are Kate and Abby?" Tony asked, walking around the lab.

"They left before you got here," Ari replied.

"D'you wanna bet on who gets back first?"

Ari shook his head. "I would rather bet on whether or not Eli is planning to shoot me for breaking his nose and knocking some of his teeth out."

"It's a safe bet that he does," McGee said, entering the lab. "He asked me to give you a message, Ari."

"And what would that message be?" Ari growled.

"He said that if you don't become an American Citizen by the end of next year, he'll drag you back to Israel and shoot you personally," McGee stammered.

Ari's face went from snarl to smile in a heartbeat. "I am in luck, then. I took my citizenship test on Friday and passed. I am no longer in Eli's jurisdiction."

"Congratulations, Ari," McGee replied. "Who's your girlfriend, Tony?"

"Timothy No-Middle-Name McGee, this is Ziva," Tony replied. "Ziva, meet McGee. He's also known as 'Probie,' 'Elf Lord,' and about a thousand other McNicknames."

"It is nice to meet you, McGee," Ziva said.

McGee squealed in pain at the grip of Ziva's handshake, and Ari & Tony burst out laughing. Before either one could make a joke, however, Kate & Abby walked in. By this point, Tony had gone from just holding Ziva's hand to making out with her, much to Ari's dismay. And then Tony pointed out that Abby had covered the entire lab ceiling with mistletoe.

"Welcome back, Tony!" Abby exclaimed, pulling Tony into a bone-crushing hug.

"Good to be back, Abbs," Tony managed. "I'm having trouble breathing."

"Sorry." Abby let Tony go, eying Ziva. "So when are we gonna get to meet your girlfriend?"

"That would be me," Ziva said. "Ziva David. I am pleased to meet you." She extended her hand but ended up in one of Abby's bone-crushing hugs.

After about a minute, Abby let Ziva out of the hug. "It's so nice to meet you. So tell me, how does it feel to be the woman that hold Tony in the palm of her hand?"

Ari & McGee left, because they both knew where this was going.

"Did you have to go there, Abbs?" Tony asked. "The only part of me that Ziva holds is my heart. And where are my manners? Ziva David, meet Kate Todd."

"We've met before," Kate said.

"You have?" Tony asked, dumbfounded.

"It was back in 2002, when I was with the Secret Service," Kate replied. "I was in charge of President Bush's protection detail, and she was in charge of Prime Minister Sharon's."

Ziva studied Kate's face before slowly nodding. "I remember. We both had slight trouble keeping our people focused on the task at hand. They seemed more interested in extracurricular activities."

Kate nodded. "Speaking of extracurricular activities... DiNozzo, did you tell her what your pledge name was in college? Or about the tranny that you tongued last year?"

"I was going to," Tony replied. "But did you tell Ari you're on the 'Wet T-Shirt Wall of Fame' in Panama City?"

"DiNOZZO!"

"You started it, Kate."

"_A__sino_," Kate snapped, before turning back to Ziva. "So the only part of DiNozzo you hold is his heart?"

"Don't answer that," Tony muttered as soon as Ziva opened her mouth. Then his phone started ringing. It was Gibbs. "Yeah, boss?"

"_New Director wants to see you and your girlfriend in her office, now._" Click.

Tony turned to Ziva and whispered in her ear. "New Director wants to see us, Zi. C'mon."

_**Argument = Freewriting. Reviews appreciated. Toda.**_


	23. Need to Know, Part II

Jenny's office was wide open when Tony and Ziva arrived. Ziva was shocked to see her friend running NCIS when, a year earlier, she had almost lost her life in Cairo.

"_Shalom,_ Ziva," Jenny said.

"_Shalom,_ Jenny," Ziva replied, hugging her friend.

"Agent DiNozzo, could you close the door?"

"Of course, Director," Tony answered.

"I would like to congratulate you two on a job well done," Jenny said. "Special Agent Davis' family has closure, and a dangerous individual is locked away."

"Thank you," Tony & Ziva replied at the same time.

"So Ziva, now that you've been Burned, what are your plans for the future?" Jenny asked.

"The first thing I am going to do is sleep," Ziva joked. "On a serious note, however, I plan to study for the American Citizenship Exam."

"I wish you the best of luck, Ziva. And if you pass, I would like you to come work for NCIS."

"Thank you for the offer, Jenny. But as far as work is concerned, I want to do something else with my life other than spy and kill."

Jenny nodded. "I can respect that. You deserve to be happy, Ziva. Now, I would like to speak to Agent DiNozzo privately."

"Of course." Ziva rose from her seat and left Jenny's office, but not before giving Tony a kiss for luck.

"Agent DiNozzo, I've known Ziva for the past three years," Jenny said once her door was closed. "She may only be in her early twenties, but she has already experienced more pain and loss than someone that is three times her age. If you hurt her in any way, shape, or form, I will transfer you to a weather station in Antarctica. Is that clear?"

"Very clear," Tony answered, deciding to withhold that fact that Eli David had threatened him earlier.

"Now go home. It was a long op, and you deserve some rest."

"What about Gibbs?"

"Don't worry about Gibbs; I'll handle him."

Tony sprang to his feet to leave, but stopped before he opened the door. "Question. Do you know Ziva's ring size?"

"I think it's 5, but don't quote me on it. Why?"

"That's need to know, Director. And, with all due respect, you don't." Tony flashed his trademark grin as he left Jenny's office.

_**Sorry this chapter was so short... Next chapter will be the last. As usual, reviews are appreciated. Toda.**_


	24. New Year's Resolutions

_**The final chapter... *Sniff***_

_**And I know I have Brad Paisley Lyrics in Tony's proposal, so stay off my six about it!**_

* * *

_**Friday, December 31, 2004.**_

Kate and Ari's secrets (all three of them) had been revealed, and Ari became a Probationary NCIS Agent. McGee had asked Abby to marry him on Christmas, and she said yes. Jenny and Gibbs were going strong, and Tony and Ziva were living together, but not yet engaged. _**That**_ was something that Tony was planning to remedy very soon. Ziva had been welcomed into this odd family with open arms.

The entire team was gathered at Gibbs' house to watch the ball drop live from Times Square. At 2359, Tony pulled a ring out of his pocket.

2359:50

The countdown was on. "10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

_**Saturday, January 1, 2005.**_

Tony kissed Ziva, Kate kissed Ari, McGee kissed Abby, and Jenny kissed Gibbs. After everyone else finished talking about their New Year's Resolutions, they all looked at Tony.

"This year," he said, clearing his throat, "I resole to take nothing for granted, especially when it comes to matters of the heart." He faced Ziva and dropped to a knee. "Call me crazy, Ziva, but when I met you, _there was never any doubt I had found the one that I had always dreamed about._ I love you, Ziva, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Ziva answered Tony with a kiss very reminiscent of the one that they shared in Naples the first time that they made love. Tony slid the ring onto Ziva's finger and kissed her again.

Gibbs cleared his throat loudly. "Do that at _**your**_ place," he said.

"Right you are, boss," Tony replied, returning to his feet and pulling Ziva up with him. "I will see _**you**_ Monday."

An hour later, Tony lay awake tracing Ziva's curves with his finger as she slept. Life was finally falling into place for him. He was settling down, getting married to the woman he loved, all because he never forgot Rule Number Eight: Never Take Anything For Granted.

_**So that's it. There will, however, be more to come with this storyline, but for now, stay tuned for my next fic, "Bully," set in my"What If?" Universe. REVIEWS ARE WELCOME! TODA!**_


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